Registration for the 4th Annual Technology Summit is now open! Please join us for an exciting 3-day conference centering on the intersection of technology and domestic violence. Covering a wide range of technology-related issues that will be helpful to advocates, law enforcement, and legal professionals who work with survivors of abuse. National experts on these issues will be presenting, sharing their knowledge and expertise. We look forward to seeing you there!

Dates & Location

The summit will be held at the Hilton Financial District in San Francisco, CA near Chinatown from July 25-27, 2016. On July 28, 2016, we will hold an exclusive day-long meeting, which is open only for NNEDV state coalition members and tech advocates.

OVW Approval

We are happy to share that OVW has approved the following grantees to use their training travel funds to attend Safety Net’s Technology Summit.

Grantees from the OVW's Campus, CLASSP, Disabilities, LAV, Rural, State Coalition, and Underserved Grant Programs have been conditionally approved to attend this conference. Grantees from the aforementioned programs are required to contact their OVW program specialist to get approval specific to their award and to ensure that a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) is issued. A GAN must be completed before grantees expend any funds related to attending this conference.

Grantees from Transitional Housing, Justice for Families, Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence (formerly the Arrest Program) and STOP programs may be invited to attend this conference and do not have to contact OVW for prior approval. STOP sub grantees need approval from their STOP State Administrator. Grantees that are not required to get prior approval to attend this conference should be advised to place a “memo to the file” in their grant records indicating the conference approval reference number.

The reference number for this conference is OVW-2016-MU-007. This number must be used by grantees when requesting approval via a GAN or in their “memo to the file.” This approval and assigned reference number is for this conference only.

Cost for Attending

The registration fee includes full access to all training sessions, light receptions, and related events as well as continental breakfast (lunch and dinner is not included).

We're so excited to welcome attendees to our 3rd Annual Technology Summit next week in San Francisco! If you're joining us, we can't wait to meet you! If you're not joining us, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to see what we're up to. Take a look at the program book to see what's going on.

This year, we have much to discuss in the world of technology, privacy, and survivor safety. Earlier this year, in Elonis v. the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the conviction of Anthony Elonis, who posted threats (which he called rap lyrics) against his ex-wife on Facebook. Elonis had been convicted under the standard that a “reasonable person” would have viewed the posts as real threats. However, the Court said that something more is required, without specifying exactly what, so it is unclear how that decision will impact future cases involving online threats.

Despite our disappointment with that decision, the issue of sharing or distributing intimate images without consent (aka “revenge porn”) has seen a lot of movement. In fact, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Google have updated their policies to include banning non-consensual pornography on their sites. Currently, a federal bill addressing this issue is being discussed and debated.

For victim service programs, selecting effective technologies to support their services, using technology to reach survivors, and finding ways to hold offenders accountable for their crimes continue to be core topics. Privacy, security, safety, and survivor empowerment are part and parcel of those issues, making these very complex discussions.

We hope that by the end of the Summit, we will all leave with more tools and ideas as well as more questions and thoughts about what we can do to help survivors find safety and healing while working toward a world where violence against all people no longer exists.

If you're not able to join us, follow along on social media (#techsummit15 and #TS15QA)!

We have great news! We are extending the deadline for early registration to Monday, June 29th. Early bird registration is $375 and will go up to the standard rate of $475 on June 30th. Take advantage of this extension and get $100 off your registration!

Also, don't forget that if you're an OVW grantee, some OVW grantees have been approved to use their training travel funds to attend the Summit. More information about using your OVW funds to attend is here.

For the most up-to-date information about the Technology Summit, go to this page.

Today is World Password Day, and a reminder that you should change your password. Passwords are used for almost everything we do these days because, without a password, anyone can get into all your stuff: your phone, email, bank account, social media, etc.

Here are some tips on how to create a secure password:

Pick a password that will be hard for someone else to guess.

Use different passwords for different accounts.

Best passwords are longer than 8 characters and contain numbers and symbols.

Keep your passwords simple, so you can remember it.

Share your password with no one.

Use 2-step verification/authentication (where you use your password as well as a code that's sent to your phone or email).

Uncheck the “remember me” or “keep me logged in” feature.

Always remember to log off.

Change your password often (today, for instance, on World Password Day!).

Registration for the 3rd Annual Technology Summit is now open! Join us for unique 3-day training focusing on the various complex issues and concerns that come from the intersection of technology and intimate partner violence. National experts on these issues will be presenting, sharing their knowledge and expertise. This summit is open to service professionals working with victims of domestic & sexual violence, stalking, and trafficking.

Dates & Location

The summit will be held in San Francisco, CA near Chinatown from July 27-29, 2015. (On July 30, 2015, we will hold an exclusive day-long meeting, which is open only for NNEDV state coalition members and tech advocates.)

Cost for Attending

The registration fee includes full access to all training sessions, receptions, and related events, as well as breakfast and afternoon snacks (lunch and dinner is not included). Take advantage of the early bird registration fee by registering before June 1, 2015.

Early Bird Registration: $375

Standard Registration: $475

Registration

Submit a Proposal

For the first time, we are soliciting workshop proposals. We are looking for sessions that will provide tools and information to respond to technology abuse, enhance services for survivors of abuse, and hold offenders accountable.

Technology Safety

Managed by the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), this blog explores the intersection of technology and privacy and intimate partner violence, sexual assault and violence against women.

Safety Check!

If you think someone’s monitoring your devices, visit this website from a computer, tablet, or smartphone that isn't being monitored. Exit from this website and delete it from your browser history. For more information, visit this page.

TechSafety.org

Managed by the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), this blog discusses technology, privacy, and safety in the context of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and violence against women.